Narrative:

Not having flown at efd for a number of yr, I decided to practice 2 touch-and-go's and 1 instrument approach in the early evening when airport traffic was light. I made a phone call to efd ground and asked whether tower was able to accommodate practice approachs. After contacting tower, ground informed me to call tower when ready. After completion of preflight procedures, I contacted efd ground on the radio and requested 2 touch-andgo's and an ILS approach. I was instructed to stay outside of class B airspace and was cleared for taxi. After run-up, I contacted tower. Tower asked whether I would like to do the ILS approach or the touch-and-go first. I replied by requesting touch-and-go first. Tower cleared me for takeoff. It took me approximately 30 seconds to get onto the runway and get established on the centerline. Tower sounded agitated and upset and instructed me to depart immediately or get off of the runway. On climb out at 400 ft, I performed standard procedures for columbia 300, flaps up, boost pump off, and continued to climb. As I checked oil temperature on each cylinder, I realized the aircraft climbed through 1200 ft and I began to level off. At this point, I received a very loud and stern instruction from tower to make a left turn and decrease altitude to 600 ft. As I began the turn and descent to 600 ft, tower instructed, in an ever more angry voice, 'aircraft X, you need to get familiar with the airport procedures, land immediately on runway 22, full stop!' postflt, I taxied back to the FBO, fueled and once again reviewed the efd information in the AFD. In reading through the remarks, I realized my grave mistake of climbing above 600 ft -- efd traffic pattern is divided into 3 levels and 'light aircraft' tpa is set at 600 ft. My unfamiliarity with the efd 3-TIER tpa had resulted in a climb to a higher tpa which was reserved for jet traffic. Clearly, the PIC is responsible for having a clear understanding of the airspace in which he/she intends to fly in prior to flight. As a low time PIC in a new airport environment, I made a mistake of being distraction with the logistics of flight and was not adequately informed of the complex traffic pattern system of efd. This incident could have been avoided through: PIC getting better familiarization with traffic pattern procedures prior to flight, especially when flying in complex airspace. Tower can prevent incidents of this type by providing better detailed instructions in complex tpa system. Example: 'aircraft X cleared for touch-and-go runway xyz, maintain 600 ft tpa.'

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: LANCAIR COLUMBIA PLT SAT ON THE RWY AFTER BEING CLRED FOR TKOF. THE PLT THEN VIOLATED THE TPA.

Narrative: NOT HAVING FLOWN AT EFD FOR A NUMBER OF YR, I DECIDED TO PRACTICE 2 TOUCH-AND-GO'S AND 1 INST APCH IN THE EARLY EVENING WHEN ARPT TFC WAS LIGHT. I MADE A PHONE CALL TO EFD GND AND ASKED WHETHER TWR WAS ABLE TO ACCOMMODATE PRACTICE APCHS. AFTER CONTACTING TWR, GND INFORMED ME TO CALL TWR WHEN READY. AFTER COMPLETION OF PREFLT PROCS, I CONTACTED EFD GND ON THE RADIO AND REQUESTED 2 TOUCH-ANDGO'S AND AN ILS APCH. I WAS INSTRUCTED TO STAY OUTSIDE OF CLASS B AIRSPACE AND WAS CLRED FOR TAXI. AFTER RUN-UP, I CONTACTED TWR. TWR ASKED WHETHER I WOULD LIKE TO DO THE ILS APCH OR THE TOUCH-AND-GO FIRST. I REPLIED BY REQUESTING TOUCH-AND-GO FIRST. TWR CLRED ME FOR TKOF. IT TOOK ME APPROX 30 SECONDS TO GET ONTO THE RWY AND GET ESTABLISHED ON THE CTRLINE. TWR SOUNDED AGITATED AND UPSET AND INSTRUCTED ME TO DEPART IMMEDIATELY OR GET OFF OF THE RWY. ON CLBOUT AT 400 FT, I PERFORMED STANDARD PROCS FOR COLUMBIA 300, FLAPS UP, BOOST PUMP OFF, AND CONTINUED TO CLB. AS I CHKED OIL TEMP ON EACH CYLINDER, I REALIZED THE ACFT CLBED THROUGH 1200 FT AND I BEGAN TO LEVEL OFF. AT THIS POINT, I RECEIVED A VERY LOUD AND STERN INSTRUCTION FROM TWR TO MAKE A L TURN AND DECREASE ALT TO 600 FT. AS I BEGAN THE TURN AND DSCNT TO 600 FT, TWR INSTRUCTED, IN AN EVER MORE ANGRY VOICE, 'ACFT X, YOU NEED TO GET FAMILIAR WITH THE ARPT PROCS, LAND IMMEDIATELY ON RWY 22, FULL STOP!' POSTFLT, I TAXIED BACK TO THE FBO, FUELED AND ONCE AGAIN REVIEWED THE EFD INFO IN THE AFD. IN READING THROUGH THE REMARKS, I REALIZED MY GRAVE MISTAKE OF CLBING ABOVE 600 FT -- EFD TFC PATTERN IS DIVIDED INTO 3 LEVELS AND 'LIGHT ACFT' TPA IS SET AT 600 FT. MY UNFAMILIARITY WITH THE EFD 3-TIER TPA HAD RESULTED IN A CLB TO A HIGHER TPA WHICH WAS RESERVED FOR JET TFC. CLRLY, THE PIC IS RESPONSIBLE FOR HAVING A CLR UNDERSTANDING OF THE AIRSPACE IN WHICH HE/SHE INTENDS TO FLY IN PRIOR TO FLT. AS A LOW TIME PIC IN A NEW ARPT ENVIRONMENT, I MADE A MISTAKE OF BEING DISTR WITH THE LOGISTICS OF FLT AND WAS NOT ADEQUATELY INFORMED OF THE COMPLEX TFC PATTERN SYS OF EFD. THIS INCIDENT COULD HAVE BEEN AVOIDED THROUGH: PIC GETTING BETTER FAMILIARIZATION WITH TFC PATTERN PROCS PRIOR TO FLT, ESPECIALLY WHEN FLYING IN COMPLEX AIRSPACE. TWR CAN PREVENT INCIDENTS OF THIS TYPE BY PROVIDING BETTER DETAILED INSTRUCTIONS IN COMPLEX TPA SYS. EXAMPLE: 'ACFT X CLRED FOR TOUCH-AND-GO RWY XYZ, MAINTAIN 600 FT TPA.'

Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site as of July 2007 and automatically converted to unabbreviated mixed upper/lowercase text. This report is for informational purposes with no guarantee of accuracy. See NASA's ASRS site for official report.